Change of heart, Change of life
by bright hope
Summary: AU: When Harry runs away from the Dursleys at the age of eight, everything has changed, and what takes place is not what has happened before. His friends, life, and story is no longer the same.
1. A boy named Ray

Hi, I just decided to change my files to html, because the formatting is much easier on the eye. Lol. I think it looks better too... So here's my disclaimer, I might as well add it in, seeing how I'm revamping the fic. ::The person who started it all is a great lady called JK Rowling. I'm doing an AU so I'm afraid I might just be warping her characters, and changing the way they are and what happens etc. However, full credit for such a wonderful series goes to her::

Chapter One - A boy called Ray 

The streets of London were completely empty safe for a young boy and his companion, who were creeping across the road soundlessly, clothed in dark pants and shirt, with a sack flung over their shoulders. The tall street lamps cast long shadows in the area, making it remarkably creepy. 

To the two young boys however, this was home, a place they had spent countless nights in, moving in the exact same fashion, for the exact same purpose. 

When they reached the wall of the house, the taller boy gave the smaller, slimmer one a boost over it. Then, with a running leap, and his friend's assistance, he too cleared the formidable stone barrier. 

Keeping a wary eye out, they descended silently, starting to move towards the residence. They had been given their assignment earlier the same day. All they had to do was follow instructions, and carry it out. 

Edward, or Eddie as he was better known to his friends, was tall for his age. Broad in shoulder and with neat reddish brown hair, he was easily the most popular member of the Reynard's Boys, or the Thieves Guild as many chose to call it. 

His companion was Ray. Edward had found Ray wandering the streets three years back and had brought the abandoned boy to Reynard. 

Little was known about Ray. When pressed for his real name, the boy would just shrug and reply with an easy smile, "Just call me Ray." Small and slender, Ray was agile and sure of his work. His dark hair lay messily over his eyes, covering a lightning bolt scar that was on his forehead. Like Ray himself, the scar was a mystery to all who knew him. A pair of dark-framed spectacles perched on his straight nose, making his brilliant green eyes stand out. 

A few feet away from the back door of the house, Edward stepped into a detector which immediately clamped around his leg, triggering a loud ringing bell throughout the residence at the same time. Horrified, Ray moved forward, conscious of the running footsteps that were headed towards them. Before he could get any closer however, Edward had stopped him with a shake of his head.

The rules were clear in this case, "Whoever falls behind, is left behind." Even if Ray had stayed with Edward, he would not be able to free his friend on time. 

With a last desperate look at the prone figure on the ground, Ray turned to run, clambering up a tree and over the wall. Once over, he took off, moving as fast as he could to get away from the scene of the crime. 

~*~

Halfway to headquarters, Harry crashed into someone. The man was tall and dressed completely in black from head to toe. He had a hooked nose and a rather pallid complexion. With some trepidation, Harry noted that the man was scowling fiercely at him. 

A small part of him was tempted to just turn and run. Another part was cringing in disgust at the greasy hair that adorned the man's head, hanging to his shoulders. 

With a muttered apology to the man who seemed to be frozen in place staring at Harry's features, the scowl slowly dissipating from his face, Harry made to move off, ducking past the man.

Before he could get much further however, the man shot out a hand to catch his arm. Still high-strung over having to leave Edward behind, Harry jerked before starting struggle. 

"And I didn't even take his money," the boy thought to himself, a cross between annoyed and alarmed. 

The man opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get any words out, a woman and a much older man had come clacking up the street. In the dim lighting, Harry could just make out some robes. 

"Mental," he thought, "I'm stuck out in the streets in the middle of the night with some lunatics."

The old man sighed wearily. "Severus, let the boy be. I'm sure he did not mean to bump into you. We've got far more important…"

The old man cut off as the woman breathed almost reverently, "Upon my word, it is him, Albus."

Albus looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head, "Where have you been, Harry Potter?"

My first chapter. (smiles in absolute bliss) 


	2. Revelations

Hi again, this time, I've got a disclaimer in the first chapter. Just for the sake of it though, I would once again like to give full credit for the development of the Harry Potter series to JK Rowling. 

With that done, sit back, relax, and enjoy my second chapter. 

Chapter 2 – Revelations 

Harry bit his lip. His arm was going numb from the vice-like grip on it. He was tired, hungry, and had absolutely no clue what was going on. One thing he did know, however, he was not going to let his cover be blown. 

Harry shook his head, creasing his eyebrows into a convincing frown. "I don't know who you're talking about sir. I'm just another kid living in London."

"Nice try, Potter," the man holding him said with a soft chuckle, "but that scar," bending down, he brushed Harry's fringe up, "gives you away."

"So what if I am Harry Potter," Harry asked somewhat defensively, "I've done nothing to you, I've got no connections to you."

The old man sighed. "Just hear us out, Mr Potter, and you may be surprised. Come along with us and we'll explain."

Harry stared at the old man, his free hand tightening on the switchblade at his waist. It was small, but sharp enough to do enough damage for him to escape. "You're insane. I don't know you. Quite obviously, there's no way I'm going with you just like that." 

Standing as straight as he could with one arm still gripped strongly by the man, Severus, Harry drawled out, raising an eyebrow sardonically, "Find someone else to play your games, old man, I'm not interested."

The man holding Harry chuckled once more. The woman meanwhile, was glaring disapprovingly at Harry, looking vaguely offended. "Will you stop that?" she snapped at Severus as he continued to smirk.

"If you'll just come with us, Potter," she began before Harry cut her off.

"You're mad," he said flatly, "I've already told you I'm not going to." His hand gripped the knife firmly now. 

The old man sighed wearily. "You will hear us out, Mr Potter, whether you want to or not, this is not a time for games."

Harry frowned. It looked as if they would not let him alone until they spoke to him in private. While he might have jabbed at Severus with his blade, the odds of him escaping the other two were still very slim. "Very well then, but I pick the place."

Wrenching his arm out of Severus' grip, Harry spun around, stalking down the deserted streets. "Follow me."

~*~

Severus looked around in interest as he followed the young boy before him. So this was where the Potter boy had spent the last three years, he thought absently, entering a back door just behind Harry and climbing some rickety steps to an abandoned building.

The three adults had gone searching for Harry when Dumbledore had reported that he could not be found at the Dursleys, since the courier owl had returned bearing the acceptance letter, just as it had been sent out. 

When they had confronted Harry's relatives, his uncle had merely snapped, "How would I know? Ungrateful little wretch left three years ago!"

If Severus had been expecting to find a James Potter replica, he had been pleasantly surprised. In fact, from what he had seen thus far, James Potter's son acted nothing like his sire. Truth be told, Severus was getting increasingly fond of the boy. 

Ducking his head once more to enter the second doorway leading to a single room, Severus studied the peeling wallpaper and scant belongings scattered about the place in mild alarm. A half moth-eaten sofa was in a corner of the room, and a dirty pallet on the floor. What had the boy been doing?

Before he could muse further, however, Harry had turned to face the three adults, his back towards an open, dusty window. Probably so he can escape if anything goes awry, Severus thought in amusement. 

"I'll offer you a seat, and some refreshments," Harry drawled, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes once more, "but as you can see, I have none to share."

Clearing his throat, the boy continued, "You wanted to talk. So, talk." He raised an eyebrow expectantly. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "First off, I believe some introductions are in order. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is my colleague, Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress, and transfigurations teacher. That is Severus Snape, potions master of Hogwarts."

Harry looked unfazed. Absently, Severus wondered if anything would shock the boy. "And? Why should you then need to speak to me?"

Dumbledore smiled broadly at Harry. "Because, my boy, you're a wizard. Had you received your letter at the Dursleys, all would have been well. However, you seemingly disappeared without a trace."

With a shrug, Harry replied, "Yeah well, I had my reasons. So what if I'm a wizard?" the dark-brow hooked upwards once more, "I've known for ages. I mean, I kept doing things no one else could. Things that couldn't be explained."

Dumbledore smiled, "Well, Harry, it's just time to start your education."

"What makes you think I want to go to this school of yours, what makes you think I actually want to leave here?"

McGonagall made a slight choking sound, as though she could not believe her ears. "Potter, the school would be the best place for you."

Harry looked annoyed, "Just because you say so? What is Hogwarts about anyway?"

When Harry turned to Dumbledore, the elderly wizard did not reply however, he was looking at his pocket watch, and frowning as he noted the time. The watch did not quite make sense to Harry, but Dumbledore obviously understood it, for he shook his head abruptly, turning to Harry with another of his smiles.

"I'd love to stay and answer your questions, Harry, but we really have to be going. We can come by tomorrow to explain though."

Dumbledore broke off in surprise as Snape interrupted him, "No need Albus, I can stay. I've got nothing that I can't put off anyway."

McGonagall looked at Snape suspiciously and Harry smiled. It looked like the two of them didn't quite like each other. 

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Well, if that's all, then we shall be off. Severus, thank you, you can stay. Come Minerva, let's go!"

As the two of them exited the cramped room, leaving Harry behind with Snape, he could hear McGonagall protesting indignantly, "But Albus… Severus?" before the voices faded away. 

Left alone, with the sole exception of the adult standing across the room from him, Harry stared back, giving Snape look for look, his chin lifted defiantly, and his eyebrow lifted in a question. 

To down-right-mystical: Thanks for the comments! =) haha, I like punk rock too. And Lord of the Rings is very very nice. =) I won't say which I prefer, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, cos they're both great stories in their own rights. Have you watched PotC yet? And seen Orlando Bloom? *grins*

Do review!!! I get so lonely whenever no one cares to review (sobs) heh. I haven't been posting most of my stuff, like I mentioned before, since I'm still sorting them out, and finals are coming up. However, I figured I'd start writing a fic. 

I'll try and update as often as possible, but until I'm done with my finals, I can't promise how often the updates will be. Do stick around and look out for updates though.

See that little button down there? Please review! I love hearing from all you people, and any constructive criticism is, as always, welcome. 


	3. To Hogwarts, To Hogwarts

'Lo. I know I said I probably wouldn't be updating, but I wrote it in school, and I figured I'd upload it, even though I'm currently neglecting my tourism notes… I've got a geog mock paper tomorrow, before the actual exam. 

The strangest thing is I was studying the League of Nations earlier this evening for my history paper. *sigh* It looks like my studying is just really really messed up. =P

Chapter 3 - To Hogwarts, To Hogwarts

A few minutes later, Harry was still studying the silent adult sitting across from him quietly. He was bursting with questions but decided that he would wait out the strange contest that he and the stoic faced Professor seemed to be having. 

Since both were waiting for the other to start speaking first, and neither were willing to say anything until the other did, complete silence filled the room, and Harry contented himself with watching Snape closely. 

The man was a complete enigma. He had found Harry, to be sure, but had shown little or no interest during Harry's short conversation with Dumbledore. On the other hand, he had voluntarily stayed behind to keep an eye on the boy. 

Snape on his part was inspecting Harry as closely as he himself was being scrutinized, an unreadable expression on his face. By all accounts, he ought to dislike the boy, Snape thought to himself furiously. Harry was, after all, the son of his schoolboy rival. Despite this however, he found himself taking a liking to the slim, serious-faced child. 

Before either of them had made a move to speak to each other, however, there was a loud screech from outside the window and a large barn owl hurtled in, bearing a letter. 

Reaching out a hand, Snape caught the owl, untying the letter attached to its feet.

"So that's how you exchange mail," a thoughtful voice interjected. Harry was studying the owl sombrely, his head tilted to one side. When the boy held out an arm, the owl hopped over to perch on it, nuzzling Harry's face for a moment before it took off out the open window.

Snape blinked. "The school owls _ never_ behave like that."

With a slight smile and a shrug, Harry replied, "I've always liked animals."

When it was obvious that the boy was not going to provide any more information besides the single sentence he had just spoken, Snape sighed, "Why did you leave the Dursleys, Harry? The headmaster left you there for your own protection."

Harry stiffened slightly upon hearing Snape mention his relatives. Then with a forced smile, he said blithely, "I didn't feel like I belonged with them. So when I was eight, I figured I'd do better out in the streets by myself." Hastily changing the subject, he added,  
"What's Hogwarts like?"

Snape allowed himself a moment's amusement as he mulled over the thought that anyone actually thought that Hogwarts could be described just like that. Then, noting how Harry was still looking at him, he said slowly, with a slight shrug, his hand still griping the envelope he had received from the owl.

"Well, it's a school, as you doubtless have gathered. It caters to young witches and wizards from the age of eleven, where they get their acceptance letter, to the age of seventeen, when they finally graduate from Hogwarts."

Holding out the envelope, he added, "This is your letter."

When Harry crossed the distance between them, accepting the parchment envelope, Snape went on. "There are four houses in Hogwarts."

"Houses?" Harry looked up from the emerald writing on the front of the envelope to stare curiously at Snape. "What houses?"

"I'm getting there." 

As Harry proceeded to open the envelope, the scowl was wiped off Snape's face and he carried on speaking. "There's Hufflepuff, for the hardworking and loyal. In my opinion, it's the house that carries a whole troop of dunderheads. Useless, brainless, and blindly accepting."

Harry smirked slightly at Snape's description, causing the Potions Master to mummer softly to himself, "Definitely not for Hufflepuff, this one." 

As Harry watched Snape silently once more, frozen in the act of unfolding his letter as he waited for the adult to continue his narrative, Snape said, "There's also Ravenclaw, for those quick of mind and intelligent. I personally find them rather… dreary in nature. All they know is their books. Dump them in society, and they sink."

With a slightly cocky smile, Harry looked up from where he had been alternately pursuing the contents of the letter and listening to Snape. "Well, I guess that rules me out from Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff too, I would think. What else is there?"

Holding up two fingers, Snape smirked slightly, "The second last is Gryffindor. Home of the brave and courageous, or so it is said. It is also the house your parents were in. While I don't deny that the Gryffindors are seemingly fearless in nature, they are also hot-headed, rash, impatient, and daft." With a close eye on Harry, he continued, "You don't seem the type."

"The last one then?" Harry's voice was quiet, carrying no hint of his emotions.

"I'm the head of the last house. Slytherin." Almost fondly, Snape sounded a lot more enthusiastic then he had earlier. We're supposed to be cunning, sly and ambitious. Many of the other houses dislike us. According to society bias, we're also the house that turns out all the evil wizards or witches. I like to think that we're pragmatic and smart. Then again, ambition is not necessarily a bad trait."

Harry nodded, thinking over the information. 

"So what will it be, Mr Potter, are you coming to Hogwarts?"

Harry gave Snape a wry half grin. Looking around, he asked, one eyebrow raised significantly as his gaze rested on the various broken contents of the room. "It's not like I've got much to lose, is it?"

"Wonderful," Snape smiled, "come, the sooner we get to buy your school things the better. It's almost morning anyway. Leave your stuff; I doubt you'll need them. And I can purchase a new wardrobe for you."

"I'll tell Dumbledore you've accepted too," he added as an after thought, before Harry could say anything else. 

"Does he read minds, or what," the boy thought absently as he trotted after the tall man. A few steps away from the door, Harry paused to survey the dingy, rundown room almost sadly. It wasn't quite the perfect home, but it was where he had spent the last three years.

Then, he turned and followed Snape from the old building. 

Hi, like I earlier mentioned, my finals are coming up, so I've no idea when I can next update. Rest assured, I'm not abandoning this though, it might just be a while until I can get to working on it again. 

To ER – Thanks! =) And yes, I'll definitely be writing more. 

To Crystaldolphin88 – Haha, I sure will, if my parents don't decapitate me sometime or other after seeing my results…

To Maya – Your wish is my command. *poof* update appears =) enjoy!

To everyone else… do read and review! Bye! 


	4. Shopping, Scowling, and Surprises

Hi there! Haha, I keep telling myself that I should go study but who can resist posting on ff.net? Heh. Do read and enjoy. 

Chapter 4 – Shopping, Scowling, and Surprises

Once in London, Snape brought Harry to an apartment store. Harry concealed a smile as he picked some clothes for himself out. Snape was standing off to one side, occasionally pointing out clothes with comments of, "This looks about the right size" and "How about this one?"

For the most part, however, he looked highly annoyed at the salesgirl who was badgering him to purchase some new clothes, "But black is so last season, sir…"

When Harry had gotten what he thought he would need, Snape looked through the pile and brought them to the counter. 

"Who's paying, sir?" Harry asked as Snape counted out notes. 

"For the time being… me. Count this as a belated birthday present. As for your school materials, we'll be drawing from the vault your parents left you."

With that, Snape accepted the bag from the cashier and strode off down one of London's many roads. 

Harry frowned as they neared a corner where an old, musty pub named The Leaky Cauldron was. If he didn't think it impossible, he would have thought that the people could not see it. Their eyes slid from the large bookshop on the right of the pub to the record store to its left. 

When he voiced that thought to Snape, the man had merely asked lightly, "What makes you think they can?" before smiling mysteriously and continuing to stride swiftly along towards the pub.

A frown still marring his features, Harry hurried after. In fact, he was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Snape stop suddenly, managing to avoid crashing face first into the Potions Master only narrowly. 

"Listen," Snape said in an undertone to Harry, once he was sure that he had the boy's attention, "There are certain images that I have to upkeep, for certain reasons. You don't need to know what, but just understand that I will act differently once we enter the Wizarding World."

When Harry nodded, Snape flashed him a brief smile before they entered The Leaky Cauldron. 

Almost immediately, all conversation ceased as everyone turned to look at the latest arrival in the pub. Then, with a slow rumble, they turned away and carried on with their previous conversations once more. 

The bartender was standing behind the counter wiping a dirty glass. When he saw Snape, he looked up with a smile and asked, "What will it be, sir? Mead?"

Snape merely shook his head and headed impatiently to the back, followed by Harry who slouched along, scowling heavily and playing the sulky kid who had been dragged along with the Potions Master perfectly. 

Snape resisted the urge to smile as he passed out the backdoor, hearing hissed whispers of, "Poor boy…" and "What an awful man!" from around him. His reputation was definitely being preserved. If nothing else, it seemed to be improving.

When they stopped before the stone wall heading to Diagon Alley, Snape paused, quietly observing Harry from out the corner of his eye, just to see the boy's reaction. From what he had noticed all his years, most newcomers to the wall merely scoffed and shot out impatient statements about the 'obvious' lack of a doorway.

Snape honestly wondered if Harry would do the same. 

When the boy just stopped and waited patiently for Snape, he blinked, unsure of whether Harry was just waiting for something to happen, or if he knew that there was an entrance to Diagon Alley there. 

This particular problem was solved when the boy turned to him, eyebrows raking his hairline. "Sir, aren't you going to open the archway?"

Snape felt his jaw drop open. Pulling himself together once more and glancing behind to make sure no one was eavesdropping, he caught Harry's arm, asking in a low whisper, "How did you know there was an opening here, Harry?"

The boy had merely shrugged nonchalantly, the slightest hint of a frown on his face at Snape's reaction. "I don't know. I just did. I can… feel magic; I guess that would be the best word to describe it. Sometimes, I can see it too. I've always been able to do so. I've no idea why, really. For instance, the wall is shimmering. There must be quite a lot of magic put into it."

Snape merely shook his head in mild disbelief. A talent like that and the boy was just shrugging it off as though it happened regularly to people all the time. 

Snape had read of people who could sense magic, though he'd never personally met any. It was said that this particular trait was a strong hint that the person was a Magi, one with heightened powers and senses beyond the ordinary wizard. 

"That was what the book said anyway," Snape thought silently. On a more important note however, such talents were only supposed to develop when the witch or wizard hit their majority. In other words, they had to be in their mid-teens before they could even use their powers. 

Resolving to ask Dumbledore about Harry later, and deciding that keeping that particular piece of information for the time being was wiser, Snape pulled out his wand, tapping lightly on the required bricks. 

Harry's eyes followed the movement of the wand as he made a mental note of the position of the bricks that Snape touched. It could come in handy later. 

Then, as the bricks shifted and the arch formed, the tall Potions Master of Hogwarts and his apparently sullen young charge stepped into Diagon Alley.

Haha, poor Harry, everything does seem to happen to him doesn't it? *grins*

As a side note, Draco will be making an appearance in either the next chapter or the one after that. Can't keep everyone's favourite Slytherin out of the picture too long, can we? *smiles* 

Oh, and as for Edward, he will be playing a role later on, so you can more or less expect to see him sometime in the future. When though, is the question. Hee. And I'm not telling when, or under what circumstance. 

*sighs* I know I really should be doing my studying, but everytime I finish a chapter I can't help but want to post it up. Lol, I shall be good and hit my physics after this though. 

To athenakitty – Lol, that's a lot of questions. Well, as for the house Harry's going to be in, I can say that I haven't quite set my mind on it 100% just yet, but Harry-Slytherin is where I'm heading currently. Harry hasn't brought up his ill treatment with the Dursleys just yet one because he has learnt not to share too much of himself at one go. On the other hand, Snape IS catching on to the fact that Harry had pretty much a horrible childhood. The topic will probably come up in detail sometime later in the story. As for Snape getting guardianship of Harry, I've not really thought much about that yet. I shall though… *smiles* Going back to the Dursleys? Haha, you'll just have to wait and see what's going to happen to Harry when he has to leave Hogwarts for the holidays. =P

To ER – Hi again! =) Yeah, I just love Harry in Slytherin stories. They are just so cool. *smiles* Gred and Forge in Slytherin? Well now, that would be telling wouldn't it? (smiles mysteriously ala Snape) And as for what house Ginny is going to be in… you'll just have to wait. Heh. 

To Sapphire Lotus – Updated! *smiles* Thank you, thank you very much… 

To Serry – Hey, thanks a lot! All my friends are mugging like mad now, and I'm joining them occasionally. Haha, too many subjects, and not enough time. 

Once again, huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and do read and review some more k? I just love reading reviews… (stares dreamily at computer screen) Haha. 

(Meanwhile, scurries off guiltily to put in some studying time…)


	5. First Sight of Diagon Alley

Whoo. Another chapter. I didn't think I'd be able to get it up at first, but I managed. Pretty happy with myself. Anyway, I've got classes later, so I shall leave you to read and review. Enjoy!

Chapter Five – First Sight of Diagon Alley

Harry tried not to gape too much but he was completely blown away by the magnificence of Diagon Alley, as Snape had called it. Everywhere he looked, there was something new and exciting. 

Mothers called out impatiently to their children as they bustled along, arms loaded with bags containing their purchases. Shopkeepers called out from where they were standing, advertising their goods for all they were worth. 

A woman outside the apothecary was complaining loudly about how the price of Dragon liver had gone up drastically. Turning his head to the left, Harry could see a dark shop with an old sign reading Eeylops Owl Emporium. The shop was filled to the brim with all sorts of owls. From tawny to snowy, they gazed solemnly at him from their cages. 

"Can I buy an owl too?" Harry asked, catching up with Snape. 

Snape glanced down at Harry, looking slightly annoyed. "Didn't you read your letter?" Frowning, Harry reached down to the letter that he had stashed in his pockets. Flushing slightly, he read the line 'Students may bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad' once more, before looking up defensively at Snape. 

"It's not my fault."

"Indeed."

"I just didn't see the sentence the first time round."

"I didn't say it was your fault. Mr Potter," Snape added as they passed a group of teenagers who glared sourly at him, "but you do seem intent on taking it so don't you?"

Harry gaped at Snape. This was the first person he had met who could outwit him. "Well it wasn't," he said stoutly before observing his surroundings once more. 

If Snape had found the exchange amusing, he did not mention it, preferring instead to continue walking, his head tilted slightly forward, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

There was a group of boys clustered around the window of a shop called Quality Quidditch Supplies. From what Harry could see, they were all ogling at a single broom in the display case. As he walked past, he could hear one of the boys commenting breathlessly, "it's the new Nimbus Two Thousand! The fastest ever…"

The rest of the boy's statement was lost to the crowd as Harry and Snape were swept along further down the street with the throng of people. 

Hearing a soft chuckle from beside him, Harry looked up to see Snape observing him with what seemed to be a cross between a smile and a smirk twisting his mouth. Looking highly amused, the older man said, "Pop your eyes back in your head Harry, you won't be able to see everything all at once, though I can't fault you for trying."

Before Harry could think of a suitable response to that statement, Snape had stopped before a white marble building. "Gringotts," he supplied, when Harry shot him a questioning glance. "Wizards' bank. We need to pick up some of the money your parents left you. Or were you expecting to receive your school materials absolutely free?"

Harry blinked. In all his eagerness to see the whole of Diagon Alley, the thought of needing money had never occurred to him. As Snape strode briskly up the steps, Harry followed, hurrying to keep up with him. 

Beside the burnished bronze doors leading into Gringotts, there was a short, wrinkled figure dressed in clothes of scarlet and gold. It had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and extraordinarily long fingers and feet. 

"That, Harry," Snape said quietly as they were bowed through the doors by a small creature, "is a goblin," making Harry wonder once again if that man could actually read his mind. 

A slight smile ghosted across Snape's lips as they walked, but since Harry had not noticed it, nothing more was said.

When Harry glanced up, he found himself faced with another pair of doors, this time in polished silver, with words engraved upon them in a flowing script. 

'Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take but do not earn

Must pay most dearly in their turn

So if you seek beneath our floor

A treasure that was never yours, 

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.'

"Not too friendly are they?" Harry murmured as two more goblins bowed them through the second pair of doors. 

"They're goblins, Harry," Snape said, as though that single statement explained everything. "Vicious and money-minded… You'll learn more about them in History of Magic I expect."

There was a long counter in the large marble hall they entered. Behind which, hundreds of goblins were seated, writing records in parchment scrolls, weighing coins and examining countless piles of precious gems. 

Through doors on both sides of the hall, many people and goblins entered and exited hurriedly in droves, eager to be about their business. 

"Good morning," Snape said to a free goblin as they approached the counter, "we wish to make a withdrawal for Mr Harry Potter."

The goblin peered closely at Harry. Then, turning to Snape, he asked in a nasal tone, "And does Mr Harry Potter have his key?"

While Snape pulled out the key, Harry glanced to one side, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed a giant of a man speaking to another goblin just a few feet away. 

The man handed over an envelope and Harry strained to hear the whispered words. "Top secret… Dumbledore… you-know-what… seven hundred and thirteen."

Before Harry could hear anything else however, Snape was calling him. When the Potions Master noticed where Harry had been looking, he had said, in a rather bland tone. "That's Hagrid. Gamekeeper at Hogwarts. He's been around a long time, Dumbledore trusts him. The Headmaster's one to give second chances."

Snape's eyes darkened slightly at the last statement, but he provided no further explanation to Harry. "Hagrid." The boy thought, storing the name away in case he needed it in the future. 

"I shall get a goblin to bring you down to the vault," the goblin seated behind the counter intoned solemnly, handing the key over to Harry. "Griphook!"

Harry and Snape followed the second gobbling out one of the doors leading away from the main hall. Harry had been expecting to see more marble corridors and was surprised to see a narrow stone passage, lit dimly by the torches that were in brackets attached to the rough walls. 

The passage sloped downwards, leading to some railway tracks. Once all three of them were standing near the bottom, Griphook whistled and a cart came speeding towards them. 

After minutes of hurtling around in the huge maze of stone passages, with the cold wind rushing in his face, the cart finally stopped and Harry could step out.

Griphook claimed the key from Harry, unlocking a small door in the passage wall. Then, the small creature stepped aside to give Harry access to the vault. 

Smoke billowed out, and when it cleared, Harry gasped. Mounds of gold, silver and bronze lay inside the vault. 

"The gold ones are Galleons," Snape explained, handing a bag over to Harry. As the boy started to pile some into it, he continued, "the silver ones Sickles and the bronze one Knuts. Twenty nine Knuts make a Sickle and seventeen Sickles make a Galleon."

"That should be enough," the adult said, as Harry placed a few more coins into the bag. "Anymore and you'll probably split the seams." 

On the way out of the vault, Harry spied a small wooden box lying next to the coins. Reaching down, he deftly popped it into the bag he was holding before following Snape back to the cart. 

Hi everyone. To all my reviewers, thanks a bunch. It's always great to open my inbox and see that I've gotten reviews. To all the readers, do leave a note and tell me what you think, it's always appreciated. 

I know I -did- say that Draco might be in this chapter, will, my apologies, it looks like he'll come out in the next chapter instead… I made this part of the story longer than I originally planned. 

I know I've been updating regularly so far, but I honestly don't know how long I can keep up at this rate, I've got to up the hours I put into my work. From now till mid October anyway… I WILL try update when I can, but I can't promise that I can put in a regular update. 

By the way, I'm thinking of starting another fic, this one for Harry while he's in sixth year, what d'you think? I won't start writing proper till later, I don't think I'll have the time, but I'm starting a bit of planning. 

Oh, and for this particular series, if it does well enough, I will follow Harry through his years in Hogwarts. You think? 

To I Am A Sly Slytherin – Well, it does really seem like he can doesn't it? Lol, yeah, Blaise is an interesting character. On the other hand… (sees classmates jumping up and down screaming 'GO DRACO!!') Lol. 

To ER – Hi again! Write more? Hm… *scratches head* only if you review more! Lol. Kidding. I'll probably make the chapters longer once my exams are over and I've got more time. Till then however, 1000 words ++ is going to be how long my stuff is. 

To Sapphire Lotus – Heh. I do try. Harry and Draco? Be friends? Well, all I can say, is that this is AU, so anything is possible. As for Blaise, you'll see xxx (put in the gender yourself =P) later. Till then, wait and continue to review. (smiles)

To Serpent of Light – Yep. I'll have to admit that I do like Slytherins too. Well, Harry *could* become a Slytherin once he gets to Hogwarts. Or he might not… =P Lol, Draco would be playing a pretty main role in this story though, as will Snape. But as his enemies? Or his friends… (mysterious smile) I guess you'll just have to wait till I update? – heh. How can I resist such sweetness…- one update, coming right up. 

To momma-dar – Well, wait no more, for here it is. =D 

Once more, thanks for reading, and do leave a review here to brighten up my day. =D cheerio! 


	6. A New Friend

Hey, I know I haven't updated for ages. But I just finished my finals a short time earlier, and I was quite caught up. Then I realized my whole room was a wreck and I needed to tidy it, and also organize my papers. Haha, here's the next chapter, and I promise I'll try work in a constant update. 

Cheers! And thanks to all those lovely people who reviewed.

A New Friend

A short time and a wild cart ride later, Harry and Snape found themselves walking down Gringotts' white marble steps, Harry trailing a considerable distance behind Snape as he puzzled over the contents of the box he had taken. To be honest with himself, he had absolutely no idea why he had taken it; it had just called to him, beckoning him…

Harry snapped out of his trance when he saw Snape stop suddenly at the base of the steps. Curiously, Harry moved to the side and out of the way, so as to better see what was going on. To his surprise, he saw the tall man facing a small blond boy about the same build and age as Harry.

"Professor!" the boy had cried with some surprise.

"Malfoy," Snape nodded, "Draco, I presume? Where are your parents?"

The blond shrugged carelessly. "I dunno. Off somewhere I would think. Father did mention that he wished to speak to you though."

"Very well then," Snape said blandly, "I shall not keep him waiting. Draco, I want you to meet –" He left the sentence hanging, unsure of whether Harry wished to talk to the other boy. When Harry nodded, Snape smiled. "– someone. Harry?"

As Harry approached, the two boys eyed each other warily. Still smiling, Snape merely said "Alright then, Harry – I'll see you at The Leaky Cauldron later. Get your school supplies and have them sent there. I've booked a room for you." With that, the Potions Master had spun around and headed down the busy street, robes billowing around himself, presumably off to see Malfoy Senior. 

Draco looked thoughtfully at the dark-haired boy facing him. "Hullo. Hogwarts too, I presume?"

"Yes. It sounds rather exciting, don't you think?"

Draco shrugged. "I've been hearing about it from my parents since I was about three," he said carelessly, "D'you want to pick up your robes? I need to."

Harry looked in the direction Draco was pointing. There was a shop labeled 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. As both boys started to walk there, Draco continued speaking once more. "What house d'you reckon you'll be in?"

Harry smirked. "Well, Slytherin _does_ sound good."

Draco grinned warmly at Harry. "We definitely agree on that one," he said enthusiastically, "My whole family's been in Slytherin so far. Well, except for Mother. She was in Ravenclaw. Imagine being in Hufflepuff!"

"I think I'd probably leave," Harry said, grinning back, "Well, maybe not. I don't really have anywhere else to stay. It would be rather awful though."

"I know," Draco said, nodding empathetically, "Especially with all those mudbloods. Filthy slimeballs."

"Mudbloods?"

Draco glanced over at Harry in surprise. "You don't know what that means? Well basically it implies muggleborns. You know, folk with non-magic parents. They're just about as bad as muggles."

Harry raised a brow. "You really think so?"

"Well, Father says they're the worse thing to ever happen to Hogwarts. He thinks that only people with a magic background should be let in." Draco's aristocratic features twisted into a sneer as he continued, "Father thinks we should just get rid of all the mudblood scum. Then, Hogwarts will be purged once and for all."

Harry tilted his head thoughtfully to one side as both boys stepped into Madam Malkin's. She turned out to be a short, squat witch dressed in mauve. Turning towards them, she said with a kind smile, "Hogwarts, dears?"

A few seconds later, Harry and Draco were on top of short stools as black robes were fitted over their heads. "Tell me Draco," the dark-haired boy asked quietly, through the layers of cloth muffling his voice as Madam Malkin fitted his robes for him, "Have you ever met a muggle?"

"They're scum," the blond replied decisively, "the worst to ever grace this earth…"

"I've met muggles," Harry interrupted seriously, "some," he paused, thinking of Edward, "have been the best friends I've ever known. Some, like my aunt and uncle are the worst I've ever met."

Draco gaped at Harry. "But they're horrible."

"Is that you talking Draco?" Harry countered, "Or is that your father?"

"That's you done dear!" Madam Malkin trilled and Harry hopped down from the stool gratefully. He paid for the robes flashing a smile at Madam Malkin. "Thanks. Could you help me send these to the Leaky Cauldron? Only I'm staying there and…"

"Sure dear, just write you name and I'll settle the rest. Do you need anything else?"

"I think you should get some robes," Draco put in, from where he was till having cloth pinned onto himself by Madam Malkin's assistant. "You know, for everyday wear." With a frown, Draco went back to mulling over what Harry had said, his light brows furrowed.

"D'you have anything green?" Harry asked, looking hopefully at Madam Malkin. By the time Harry was done, his package on the counter had grown considerably and Draco was also finished. "Put that on my father's bill," he called out, Harry hurrying after him after having scribbled his name on a spare piece of parchment for the delivery and paying the money.

As the door closed behind them, he heard some rustling followed by a gasp of "I don't believe it! Harry –" The rest of the sentence was lost as the door banged shut after them.

Harry winced. Snape had explained all about his supposed celebrity status earlier. To his immense relief however, few people could actually recognize him. Snape on the otherhand, had told Harry rather cheerfully that his current near-invisibility would disappear the minute he entered Hogwarts. 

Draco however, was still too caught up with his own thoughts to notice anything. "All the better," Harry thought. He was unsure as to how Draco would react once he discovered who Harry really was.

Suddenly, the blond stopped in the middle of the street. Harry, who had no idea where they were heading, was forced to come to an abrupt halt to prevent sending them both sprawling to the ground. 

"Say, are your parents pure blood?" Draco asked, looking slightly worried.

Harry shrugged. "They're dead," he said flatly, "They were a witch and wizard though, if that's what you mean."

"Oh," Draco looked relieved, "Good then. I'm sorry."

Harry sighed, still looking unhappy. "I never really knew them anyway. Besides, don't tell me you're still onto all that. _Mudblood_ stuff."

Draco looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, honestly. I mean, that's what I've been told all my life. What you said does make sense but well…" he trailed off, looking lost for a moment, "I _know _ my father hates muggleborns though, so I was afraid if you were one then…" he stopped again, afraid that he had offended Harry.

The dark-haired boy smiled, his emerald eyes glinting, "Don't worry about it Draco," he said, sounding much older than his years, "You're almost there. All you need is a little time."

Despite Draco's obvious prejudices, Harry found himself liking the blond. He _did _have some serious misconceptions, but Harry was confident that Draco would outgrow them.

Snape's words floated to mind as Harry mused. _"Not all wizards are good, Harry, understand that. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes and we all learn from them. For instance, some wizards, in particular those from pureblood descent hate muggleborns. There were many wizards about a dozen years back who went about killing the muggleborns. Their leader fell but the prejudiced still remain. Maybe, one day, they will see enlightenment."_

From what Harry had heard so far, it appeared that Malfoy Senior was one of the wizards Snape had mentioned. It also seemed that he had passed his opinions down to his son, though Draco did not seem to hate muggles as much as he claimed to. 

"How about that shop?" Draco pointed to a relatively newer place with what appeared to be feathers strewn all around. As Harry entered beside Draco, he caught side of a hnging sign reading 'The Write Stuff' before the door closed behind them.

"Welcome!" a young witch who looked to be about twenty-five called out amicably from behind the counter. Waving a bangled arm in the general direction of the items in the shop she said cheerfully. "I've just redone the place. Looks a lot better doesn't it? Take your time to pick what you're going to buy. Here, I'll get you a basket!"

As the young woman stepped towards the side, where a pile of random containers were thrown haphazardly, Harry realized that she was dressed in jeans and a loose shirt. Glancing over at his friend, Harry had to fight hard not to laugh. Draco's face was a cross between wanting to dislike the obviously muggleborn witch and liking the cheerful girl.

What resulted was a highly constipated reaction on the pale boy's face.

"Is he alright?" the girl asked as she passed a basket to Harry,

Harry grinned. "Oh, he's fine. Just having a small crisis right now. Nothing to worry about. Say, what's your name?"

The young woman's dark hair swung a full circle as she turned to face Harry. "Andrea. Andrea Johnson. I just graduated from Hogwarts a short time before."

With a polite smile, Harry nudged Draco and the two boys started to pick quills and ink, with Harry purchasing quite a considerable amount of parchment on Draco's advice. 

Argh, you people have been so nice and all reviewing, and I've been feeling so guilty for not updating. Sorry… 

I Am A Sly Slytherin – Now that'll be telling wouldn't it? *grins* You'll find out. Eventually, of course. 

Satans Angel Pyro – *sniffles* I've been really bad, but I promise now that the major part of my exams are over. (Yes, I _do_ have another paper but that's later in November) I'll work on getting into the swing of things again and updating regularly.

ER – Heh, I'm writing. *trying* to speed up things a bit. It's not that easy though, cos I have school till 4:30pm and after that I have piano and stuff. Ah… the life of a teenager. *smiles*

Myrradin – Yep! It's just so fun when he's not that innocent and sweet. Heh. And hanging around with Snape doesn't help at all. =)

Serry – Yep. Much to Draco's chagrin probably. Harry will meet Hagrid, and he will become quite good friends with him. Something to look forward to writing. Goody. (rubs hands together gleefully)

Guess – *whistles* Lah di dah. You think? Lol. I'm not telling. :P

Sapphire Lotus – Yeah, Harry's past would probably crop up soon. It's not quite something that he can hide from forever, and his friends etc would be asking about it. 

Serpent of Light – Hm. Thanks. Haha, yeah, Harry IS a lot less innocent than he is in the books. He's kinda had a completely different upbringing so he doesn't quite see things the way his peers would. Once he gets to Hogwarts however, he'll probably lighten up somewhat. 

Pen1223321 – Thanks! =)

Shadow Adams – Hm, quite a few actually. Haha, I remember one afternoon I spent the entire time reading Slytherin Harry fics, and at the end of it I was completely dazed. Hee. Not quite the brightest thing to do hm? Haha. I'll go look through my stuff and see if I can find the titles…

Down-right-mystical – Sigh, I've been rather *bad* persay about the updates as well. Haven't had that much time lately. I should be a lot freer now though *smiles* Hm, it changes with time… I know I listened to a lot of NOFX once… Currently I'm listening to Linkin Park's latest album. It's quite good though I'm not quite sure it counts in that genre. Heh. Oh, and uh…I listen to quite a lot of Incubus, POD… But those are more rock-ish. Haha. Nah, it's ok. What kind of music do you listen to?

Cmon – Thanks for the suggestion. Haha. They've not been doing much thinking this chapter but I'll work on it. 

Snooza – Whoever said I was a Snape fan. *sticks out tongue* Haha. Well, he IS an interesting character, you can't deny that. Yep I've updated. Hm, I thought you didn't quite like Ron? Or is that just fanon… Haha. Tragedy? Come on, it's not half that bad. Besides. It IS AU you know. *hint hint*

To all you lovely people, once again, I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, but I shall work on it. Do read and review! Ciao! 


	7. Meet the Malfoys

Hi all! I know I haven't updated for ages, and I'm really feeling bad about it, especially since I'll be heading out of the country within the week for a family holiday and won't be able to update for a long time. School's really messed up. Haha. I had this work-experience thing I had to go for, so I got the uh, privilege *coughs* of spending two weeks looking after kids in a after school care. Oh sure, they were ok enough as far as kids go I guess, but it was absolutely exhausting, since it was like, morning to evening. 

I'm actually finishing up my report for the WEP (work experience program) now, but I decided to take a break and write this instead. Lol. I'm planning to bring along my stuff so I can write in the hotel room at night actually, so I'll be able to update when I get back, though that won't be for quite a long time. 

Okay, enough rambling, back to the story! Whoo, I'm so glad I actually had time to update, I haven't really packed much yet. Heh. 

Chapter Seven - Meet the Malfoys

"She seemed… nice," Draco finished lamely as they stepped out into the broad daylight once more, Harry carrying a bagful of their purchases.

Harry had offered to buy and share the whole lot of materials with Draco in school after the young Malfoy heir had confided that no one in his family was allowed to use anything but eagle-feather quills and green or black ink.

Harry had amusedly passed a jibe about a 'Malfoy Family Code of Conduct' and had been rather taken aback when Draco admitted rather sheepishly that there _was _such a book. _"The Malfoy's are rather strange." _was the only thought that Harry had in response to that ridiculous statement.

He had, however, wisely kept his mouth shut about the matter, while Draco seemed a lot less disagreeable on the topic of muggles or muggleborns, especially after having met Andrea Johnson, Harry was sure that the blond boy would react very badly if his family was insulted. 

Pulling out his list, Harry said, frowning, "I need a couple more stuff… school books for one…"

"Well, let's head to Flourish and Blotts then," Draco replied, changing direction and heading to where they had come from, "Father's already bought my schoolbooks, but we can still get yours. Father didn't want me purchasing any extra books I expect. Something about 'contaminating my ideas'."

Harry smiled. "Tell you what. Pick up what you want, and if I want it too, then I can buy it and we'll just share in school!"

Draco grinned. Then, his brow furrowed. "Why are you being so nice? I mean… we've only met for over an hour and you're offering to buy me all sorts of things, like you're my best friend or something."

Harry shrugged, a lopsided smile on his face. "Well, I've never really had friends. After my parents died, I was left to my relatives and they _hated_ me. When I hit the streets, it became a fight for survival. I had one close 'friend' but even then, he was more of a…" he struggled to find the right word, "_colleague_ then actual companion."

When Harry looked at Draco, the other boy was staring out into the distance, a wistful expression on his face. "I never really had friends either," he said, "so it looks like you're stuck with me."

He held out a hand for Harry to shake and Harry took it, grinning wryly. "Indefinitely."

"Say, Harry," Draco asked as they stepped into Flourish and Blotts, "what's your last name?" Grinning apologetically as Harry shot him a sharp look, he continued, "nothing to do with bloodlines, I swear. I just realized I never asked."

"Potter. Harry Potter."

Harry watched in alarm as Draco's eyes widened and he tripped over a pile of books on the ground. While he had received some strange reactions when people had recognized him, Draco's was by and large the weirdest. 

Draco sighed. _Brilliant._ His only best friend so far was the one person his father hated above everyone else. With the possible exception on Albus Dumbledore. If Lucius found out, Draco was history. 

Looking at the obviously concerned Harry out of the corner of his eye, Draco shrugged mentally. Who cared what his last name was. As far as Draco was concerned, he was glad to have this friend. 

Once inside, Harry pulled out his school list. "Hey, get the books you want and bring them to this table. We'll sort them out, then see what I'll buy."

Draco nodded easily. "Will do." With his hands in his pockets, he strolled off, soon disappearing among the bookshelves. 

Pausing before a nearby bookshelf, Harry tugged out 'The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1' by Miranda Goshawk. Then, he decided to get the whole series all the way to Grade 7. They could, afterall, come in handy. 

When Draco approached the table later, he found himself gaping at the thick stacks of books already placed there. Setting his own pile down, Draco hurried to help Harry being another few more. 

"A regular bookworm," Draco remarked cheerfully, "What are you trying to do, Harry? Buy the whole bookstore?"

"I don't know," Harry said lightly, picking up one of Draco's selections and scanning through it, "I reckon I'm short of a few dozen."

As Draco blinked at Harry, he smiled, indicating the second book on the pile. "You can put that back, I've already got it."

Quickly looking through the rest of the pile, Harry grinned. "Moste Potente Potions?"

Draco shrugged defensively. "It _could _come in useful."

"Draco! The illustrations make it look as though these people are being tortured."

Draco frowned, "I heard father talking about the book once. He says that some of the potions mentioned are really useful. I reckon we can use them."

"Okay."

Draco gaped. "That's it? You're getting the book?"

Harry looked mischievous. "Look at the contents! Polyjuice Potion… Imagine how much trouble we could wreck." Without another word, the dark-haired boy hailed the manager over, waiting patiently as his purchases were rung up. With a slightly amused grin, Harry noted how the manager blanched regularly as he picked up some of the books. 

With a cheerful grin, he paid for the books and asked the manager to deliver them to the Leaky Cauldron. He could ask Snape to shrink them later so they would fit into his trunk. Or rather, to expand the trunk. Either way, Harry could not wait for term to start and to be at Hogwarts once more. 

At about one, Harry and Draco finally made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, after getting fully distracted at Quality Quidditch Supplies, and dallying there for a considerable amount of time. Draco had tried to persuade Harry to buy some of the things he saw there, but the dark-haired boy had shrugged the items off, finally telling Draco in exasperation, "Honestly! You _know _first years don't make the house team, there's no point in me getting anything.

Harry had, however, succumbed to temptation and bought a practice snitch. He had relented after Draco had caught him staring longingly at the little golden ball flitting around in the enclosed glass display. With a slight shove at Harry, Draco had exclaimed, laughing, "Well, get it then!"

When Harry asked Draco if he would be getting a snitch too, the blond had given Harry an odd look. "I've got the entire chest back home," he said in a matter-of-fact manner, as though it were a common occurrence in the Wizarding World, "besides, it's chaser for me." 

With a gleeful look at the red ball which was hovering in the display case, Draco then proceeded to drag a rather bewildered Harry, still holding his purchases, out of the store, talking rapidly about the different quidditch teams and openly airing his opinions about them. 

As Harry and Draco made their way to an empty table near the front of the Leaky Cauldron, away from the backdoor through which dozens of witches and wizards streamed, Draco continued talking a mile a minute, gesticulating wildly about what seemed to be his favourite topic, while Harry listened in interest. 

"…and the Chudley Cannons are completely lousy, they haven't won a single game in ages. Now the Falmouth Falcons on the other hand…"

With his head propped up, Harry surveyed Draco amusedly over the table. He had earlier thought it impossible for the seemingly calm and collected boy to get so excited about anything, but it appeared that he was wrong. If there was one thing that Draco could continuously talk about, it was quidditch. 

Draco, mused Harry, could possibly have delivered an entire discourse on why his father thought muggles were absolute scum before he had met Harry, but now, he doubted Draco would even be able to string to sentences together. 

"Oh…" Draco broke off halfway during his narration, his attention fixed on the backdoor of the smoky pub. "I better go… I think my parents are looking for me."

Just over the heads of the other patrons, Harry could make out two tall blonde heads. "Okay," he said, "I'll just pop over and say 'hi'…"

"No!" Draco shouted so loudly that Harry looked alarmed. "No," he continued at a more normal tone, "My father, he doesn't quite… Nevermind," he said, cheeks flushed, "I really should go. I'll see you another day, Harry, and thanks. For everything." 

With that, the other boy rushed off to greet his parents. Still bewildered, Harry remained in his seat. Over the noise of the crowd, he could faintly hear a woman go "Draco! There you are, wherever have you been?" Leaning back, Harry could see Draco attempting to explain his disappearance to a tall blonde lady. 

As the Malfoy family made their way to the front door towards London, Harry could hear the man hiss, softly enough that Harry had to strain his ears to catch what was being said, "Packed with mudbloods and mugglelovers as always. Come, Draco."

The door swung open, and they were gone. 

Alone in his corner booth, Harry relaxed back into his seat, letting out his breath explosively. 

Mm, before you say it, I know, we didn't really meet the Malfoys much this chapter, persay, but it IS the first time that Harry is seeing Draco's parents, and you know what they say about first impressions! Haha. I'm actually not too sure about whether I want Harry to really meet the Malfoys as yet... I'll have to mull about it. If nothing else, Draco is probably going to try prevent such a meeting. Lol. Poor kid. 

Now, on to the lovely people who reviewed my last chapter and whom I have been unable to reply to. (proceeds slapping self... "Bad girl, bad girl!" Heh.)

Mr.Virail - Haha, I'm trying. *winces* I know I'm taking really long, but life has been so busy. *sigh*

MerlinHalliwell - Mm... Draco does find out in this chapter, heh. And he's gonna go all out to try stop his dad from finding out who his new friend is. As can be expected, I doubt he'll be very successful though. Lol.

Shadow Adams - Thanks! Hee. (starts backing away) sorry for the wait... I really am! 

Down-right-mystical - Haha, yep. Harry is somewhat less innocent, having not grown up with the Dursleys, but he is, in all essence, still the good guy in a way, and definitely fair. Oh, I hated Hybrid Theory! Haha, but Meteora's not that bad, I only started listening recently anyway. Lol. I earlier avoided the album because it was by Linkin Park. I won't say I love it, but it's ok. Whoo! Incubus, is coming out with a new album next... feb was it? Haha, one of my friends was talking about it. Oh yes, I just love evanescence. It was quite amusing, because I was listening to one of the songs, and my dad came in and went "that's noise." and I went "No it's not." and my friend who was on the phone went "yes it is noise." sigh. oh you tasteless fools! ha, well.

Hm, I don't live in Britain, which is a shame in a way, cos it is such a beautiful place... ah well. Heh. Must remain loyal to my country! :P But I think I would have heard of some of the bands... oh, and as for Fictionpress, I haven't really been working on it thus far... I have started some work though, and I'll let you know when I'm done with all the editing and posted. :) 

Muhahahaha - Glad you think so! 

ER - Haha, the 4.30pm was intensive lessons, normally it ends by about... 2.30? Lessons start officially at 8, but I've to be in school by 7.20... quite early. Gah. Need my beauty sleep! Haha, recently I've had the work-experience stuff which means I could get up slightly later. On the other hand, it ended way later. Glad it's finished. Lol. 

gaul1 - keeping! running to keep up, but still keeping! :)

Elle - Thanks! :) 

SlytherinSupreme - I try my best! Lol.

Lord Master Omega - Well... here's an update! *finally* heh.

Lady Phoenix Slytherin - Heh, in my own defence, I WAS BUSY!!! *still continues to inch away though, since I -should- have updated sooner...

Serpent of Light - Oh yes, I love writing Draco, though this Harry's not bad, either. I'm trying my hand at a sixth year fic which is really rough currently (and not posted) but I'm having loads of fun writing Draco. Haha. 

So to all you lovely people who reviewed... *sigh* I'm sorry, I'll try update sooner in the future. Though since I'm going out of the country I'll be delayed for ages. Ah well. I'll try. *sniffles*

And do read and review as always... I just love opening my inbox and reading reviews. :D It lights up my day. Really. Coz I know there are people out there who enjoy reading what I write. :) *pokes* Review! Come on, you know you want to! 


	8. Shopping with Snape

Hi there! I'm back from my holiday and feeling particularly refreshed... Holidays do that to you. Haha. Anyway, I should be doing all the homework that I've yet to tackle, but I chose to write chapter eight instead. Heh. I should be getting back to my work now, though, so enjoy, and have fun. I'll update as soon as I can.

Chapter Eight – Shopping with Snape

Cursing one particular Lucius Malfoy under his breath, Snape hurried out of Knockturn Alley and into Diagon Alley, ignoring the curious stares he got along the way. Malfoy had insisted on holding Snape up, to discuss some (in Snape's opinion) half-crazed plan with him, not letting him off until he was certain that Snape knew every detail of the plot he was hatching. 

As a result, Snape was late in meeting Harry. Hopefully, the young boy was not as apt to wandering around as some other students Snape had known before were. Otherwise, he could well be in one awkward position in any obscure place, and Snape would not know where to start rescuing him from.

Pushing the heavy door open, Snape scanned The Leaky Cauldron, heaving a sigh of relief when he caught sight of a messy head in the far corner. So Harry was better behaved then he had thought likely for a son of James Potter. Interesting. From all Snape had seen so far, Harry was nothing like his father, and he was turning out to be one enjoyable individual, something Snape had definitely _not _thought possible for any Potter. 

"You're late." Harry offered the tall adult a lopsided grin.

Biting back a retort, Snape nodded generously. "So it would seem, though not by my choosing. Have you bought any supplies yet?"

Indicating the pile of bags hidden in a shadowy corner behind him, Harry tilted his head, "A fair amount."

Snape chocked. "Good grief, Potter, are you trying to buy the whole of Diagon Alley?"

Harry shook his head. "No, just Flourish and Blotts." Offering Snape an amused smile, he continued, "While I was waiting, my books and robes arrived. The other bag over there's my quills, and stuff. I think I'll need some help in packing."

"I'd say so too." Looking for Tom, Snape hailed the other man over. "Could you please take these bags up to Mr. Potter's room please?"

"Trying to buy the whole of Diagon Alley, are we, young master?"

"I wish people would stop saying that," Harry remarked plaintively, "I think I still need a wand." This was addressed to Snape. 

"So you do. Well, off we go then." And Snape and his young charge entered Diagon Alley for the second time that day.

~*~

"D'you think I'd need a spare wand?"

Snape shot Harry an amused glance, "No, I do not. I hope you didn't see fit to purchase a spare set of textbooks too."

"No," Harry replied in mock regret, "I don't think I did. Perhaps I should go back and order a second copy."

Shaking his head, in bemusement, Snape ignored Harry's statement. "As for the wand, you _could_ get another if you really wanted to, but it would be rather unnecessary."

Frowning, Harry shrugged. "If you say so…"

"Ah, here we are!" 

This shop was rather narrow, and quite shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC._ As Harry and Snape stepped into the shop, a tinkling bell sounded. A single spindly chair was placed carelessly in a corner, and neither Harry nor Snape sat on it, choosing to leave the flimsy looking creation where it was. 

Looking around, Harry could see a shimmering layer, much like what he had seen at the entrance to Diagon Alley. Whistling softly, he shook his head in wonder. This was _a lot _of magic. The entire atmosphere was practically saturated with it. 

"Good afternoon," called a soft voice, and Harry squinted to try see further into the dusty shop. 

Snape on the other hand, looked barely surprised, as though he had been expecting such a greeting all along. A shadow moved forward, and Harry was able to see an old man. His wide, pale eyes shone oddly bright in the dark shop, reminding Harry of the moon. 

Seeing how Snape did not seem inclined to say anything, Harry nodded. "Hello."

"Ah yes," said the man, "Yes, yes. Well. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Mr. Harry Potter. You have your mother's eyes. Seems only yesterday, she was here buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry, who raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to say to the strange man before him. 

"Your father, however," he continued, "preferred a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power, and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard though, of course."

Mr. Ollivander was now so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose, and the dark-haired boy wondered absently if it would be considered too rude to take a few steps backwards. Having someone's face in one's own, was after all, a rather uncomfortable situation to be in. Before Harry could decide, Mr. Ollivander had reached out with one pale, long finger to touch the scar on Harry's forehead. 

"And that's where…" he shook his head in regret. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did that. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful. In the wrong hands… if I'd known what that wand was going out in the world to do…"

Sensing Harry's discomfort, Snape coughed lightly to the side, and Mr. Ollivander's attention snapped to him. "Ah, Severus Snape. Lovely to see you again. You still have that wand don't you? Twelve and a quarter inches…"

"Yes," Snape interrupted smoothly, "I do. Mr. Potter is here to get his wand today, if you could perhaps?"

"Of course," Mr. Ollivander turned back to Harry. "Well now, let's see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand hand?"

Harry frowned. "Well, I can use both hands so…"

Mr. Ollivander froze for a moment. "Both hands?" he breathed, as though caught in some memory. "Well, Mr. Potter. It is not something I have never seen before. To work then." Clapping his hands together, he disappeared into the depths of the shop, starting to pull out boxes while his tape measure flitted around, measuring Harry's arms but ending with trying to measure the circumference of his neck. 

With a highly annoyed look at the tape measure, Harry pulled it off, and left it on the counter, where it lay limp and unmoving.

A noise to his side caught his attention and he turned to find himself face to face with the mysterious wand maker once more. A wand was shoved in his hand, and Harry stood still, holding it and feeling remarkably confused. "Well, what are you waiting for? Give it a wave."

Throwing Mr. Ollivander a rather suspicious glance, Harry waved the wand, trying to ignore the smirking Potions Master standing in the corner. Before he could complete that arc, the wand was wrenched out of his hand, and another was handed to him. "No, no, not that one. Perhaps this…"

Nearly half an hour later, Harry was no closer to finding his wand as before. Oddly enough, the more wands the old man needed to pull out, the more cheerful he seemed. "Difficult customer, aren't you?" he called from the top of a crooked ladder, "no matter, we'll find a wand for you."

Sighing, Harry turned to the side, studying the area above the counter, where another row of wands was piled haphazardly. At the rate at which he was going, it would probably take the rest of the day to find a wand. The wands shimmered, and Harry entertained himself for a while, looking at how the different lights played across each other, leaving the shelves pulsating softly with a multi-coloured hue. 

Something in the corner caught his attention, and fixing his gaze on it, Harry called. "Mr. Ollivander. Sir."

Popping up next to Harry with his arms full of wands, the wand maker thrust a few at Harry at one shot. "Here. Try these."

Harry shook his head. "I was wondering if I could try that wand."

"Eh, which one?"

"The one in the corner, second from the bottom, and third from the left."

Mr. Ollivander looked dubious, but none the less moved in that direction. "I doubt," he announced, as he retrieved the box and returned to where Harry was standing, "that a wild stab in the dark at finding your wand, Mr. Potter, would achieve much more than what I've done so… Oh my."

For when Harry had claimed the wand, a silvery mist had shot out of its end, enveloping Harry for half a minute or so, before it faded, and silver and black sparks shot out the end of his wand. Snape leaned forward in interest. "It would appear," he said silkily, when Mr. Ollivander seemed to shaken to speak, "that Mr. Potter has found his wand. Well done, indeed."

As the old man rang up the purchase, he shook his head, muttering "Curious, curious," under his breath. 

"I'm sorry," Harry interrupted, rather shortly, "but what's curious?"

Ollivander stopped with his hand halfway to the drawer and fixed Harry with a pale eyed stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It seems curious, that you should be destined for this wand, when its brother… why, when it's brother gave you that scar. The phoenix who donated the tail feather for this wand, only ever donated one more, Mr. Potter. Only one."

Although they were alone in the shop, Harry had the odd feeling that he was being watched by someone other than Snape. Fighting that feeling down, he handed over the money for the wand, deciding to forgo a spare. "Yes," he said curtly, "curious."

~*~

"I must say," Snape commented to no one in particular, "that you're a very interesting person, Harry," as they exited the shop, still watched by Ollivander. 

Harry shrugged, uncomfortably, looking back in time to see the large-eyed gaze disappear. "He's weird."

"Ollivander?" Snape sounded amused. "That he is, though he does make splendid wands."

Harry nodded, frowning. What he had seen while being encased in the mist disturbed him, but he wanted more time to mull over his thoughts before he decided whether or not to share that experience with Snape. "Can I have a pet?" he asked, rather irrelevantly, before Snape commented on his silence.

In response, Snape stepped into Magical Menagerie, stopping near the side of the door, to let Harry explore. Walking around, Harry ignored the cats and the mice, turning one full circle, before stopping before Snape. "What pet d'you think I should get?"

Snape shrugged. "A matter of personal choice, but owls are always a good choice."

Harry frowned. "D'you think I could bring more than one pet?"

Snape eyed Harry suspiciously. "If you really wanted to, I suppose…"

"Well then," Harry started to walk deeper into the shop, "I guess I shall."

Stopping by the owls, Harry studied the lot. None of the owls really caught his eye except for an odd looking bird out to the corner which didn't quite look like an owl. Frowning, Harry moved closer to it, but stopped when he heard a voice from behind him call out. "Careful there, boy. Raven there doesn't quite take to strangers." The shop owner chuckled. "In fact, he doesn't quite seem to take to anybody."

Ignoring the voice, Harry moved closer to the bird, until he was almost eye to eye with it. "That, Harry," Snape announced from the side, where he had silently moved to, "is a falcon."

Raven studied Harry intently, head cocked to one side, and when Harry held out one hand, he flew to the side of the cage, watching Harry silently. "I like him," the boy said, "would I be allowed to keep a falcon?"

Snape frowned. "I'm not quite sure… but I do think I can work something out with the headmaster."

Flashing Snape a quick grin, Harry hailed the owner over, and a few minutes later, he was exiting the shop, an empty cage beneath his arm and Raven perched on his shoulder. 

"Anything else?" Snape asked, striding quickly along.

"I don't think… oh."

"Yes?"

"I forgot to get my potions ingredients."

Giving Harry a mock scowl, Snape led the way to the apothecary's saying, "Which is why, Harry, you should count yourself lucky that I'm with you."

"Oh," Harry murmured, as he hurried in Snape's wake, "I do count myself lucky that I've met you. You don't know how lucky."

And if Snape heard, he said nothing more of the matter.

Well, here's this chapter done, there's no Draco, but there's plenty of Snape. And of course, Harry. 

To all my lovely reviewers, thanks a million, and I hope this chapter's to your liking! : )

athenakitty - Yep, Harry got his wand. I didn't touch on Draco in this chapter, but you'd probably see him in the next chapter or the one after. I'm not too sure, I haven't sorted out everything yet. 

Serpent of Light - Haha, yes. Sometimes I just write, but I'm a little too lazy to go through and edit and post it. Ah well. I do try update often enough, but because of my family vacation, I couldn't work on my story for quite sometime. Not really, anyway, since I was totally exhausted every night. But that just encourages me to keep writing, no? Thanks! :) 

whitewolf628 - Thanks. And I hope you like this chap too. 

gaul1 - Keeping it up, as best as I can! :)

ER - Here's a little update, hope you like!

Tourmaline - Haha, I agree. I know he's the hero and everything, but he can be so annoying. Lol. Hm, Harry's only got his falcon thus far. (which oddly enough is called Raven, heh) but he's going to be hanging around in Diagon Alley a fair bit, so he's not quite done with all his shopping yet. Thanks for the help with the snake. I was going to make him get one this chap, but I changed it in the end. Of course, he's already decided that he wants two pets. And he does need a bird to carry his messages... so that means he might just be getting a snake in the upcoming chapters. *smiles* I shall say nothing more. Yeah, that is one rich kid...

And Harry'll be having his problems, no worries. He is definitely *not* perfect. Oh, and yes, he is _definitely_ going to be straight, that's one thing that's confirmed, and it's not going to change, even if the story does. (which mind you it probably won't... ) Lol. Thanks, and happy reading.

Iced Flame - Yeah, he's got one pet.. and well. For the other. *twiddles thumbs* I think Harry won't be dark in the sense of being a death eater, but since he had a completely different upbringing from canon Harry, he kind of puts things in a totally different way. So he's not evil. But he's not wholly opposed of using 'dark' magic where it's necessary, since to him, the end almost always justifies the means. Any means. Hope that clears things up a little. 

down-right-mystical - Yeah, go evanescence! Haha, I've got the album too. :) I used to hate Linkin Park, and I still don't like their previous album. But Meteora is ok I guess, it's not my favourite album, by far. But I'm ok with it. My friend, who's into all this kind of music too, didn't like the earlier songs, but in his words, "Meteora is... ok." Lol. Haha, a fair number of my friends are into pop, so I don't really talk to them much about music and stuff. But the friend I mentioned earlier, it's quite amazing, cos we can end up talking about music for hours on end. 

tati1 - Thanks! I'm really, really glad you like it. Here's another update... hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long. :)

To everyone else, thanks for reading, and drop a note, review. Come on, just let me know what you think, and I'd be grateful. Heh. Till another update, bye! And have a wonderful new year.


	9. When a Weasley comes a calling

Ok, first off, I *know* I haven't updated for ages, and I'm really really sorry. I've just been so busy, I've been totally neglecting my writing. In fact, I've got 4 tests in the upcoming week, and a major history one tomorrow that I haven't studied for at all. I made the mistake of checking my mail after dinner though, and I felt so awful about completely not listening to my reviewers and updating that I shoved the books and started typing frantically. 

Anyway, about this chapter, to all you Hagrid fans out there, I offer my full apologies. It really seems like Hagrid-bashing down here, but all I can say is that it's totally not going to stay this way, and that Harry will soon discover that he completely underestimated this not-so-big and overly-friendly giant. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) For now at least, I hope you can grit you teeth and bear with the touchy-feely way Hagrid's acting, and how Harry's being completely antagonistic towards Harry. 

That said and done, here's the chapter, hope you enjoy it, and I do hope that I don't leave everyone hanging like that again. *blush*

Chapter Nine - When a Weasley comes a calling

The days passed flew by quickly, as they were apt to do, and one sunny afternoon, Harry realised to his surprise that in just a few days more, he would be going to Hogwarts. The small calendar that he had created was pinned right next to the mirror, announcing the imminent arrival of September the first. 

When Harry had expressed his enthusiasm at finally leaving to Draco however, the blond had merely given him a queer look and said, "So what? It's just _school_." Harry had given up trying to explain that going to Hogwarts meant full access to a large library and the chance to ask the teachers what he wanted to know. 

Not that he had not tried. To his dismay however, Draco had proceeded to shoot Harry an exasperated look, shaking his head and telling Harry that the only reason why Hogwarts was worth attending was because of Quidditch. The two boys had come to the unanimous decision to leave that topic alone shortly after, choosing to go for an ice-cream sundae instead. 

Leaning back into the pillows piled against the headboard of his bed, Harry gave a contented sigh, flicking to the next page of 'Charms for the Bewildered' and frowning as he studied a particular spell. 

With Draco otherwise occupied with some visiting relative, Harry had been left more or less companion-less for the past few days, with the sole exception of Ray. As such, he had taken to spending much of his day in his room in the Leaky Cauldron, reading the numerous books that he had purchased. 

Yawning slightly, he pulled a quill from his side, dipped it into the open pot of ink at the bedside table and scribbled some notes in the margin, before closing the book at placing it on top of his trunk, shoving aside some robes as he did so. 

He had to pack soon, something he had been putting off for quite a long time. When Snape had recommended the multiple compartmentalised trunk, Harry had agreed, as that seemed to be the only way to squeeze all his newly acquired belongings into a reasonably sized container.

Unfortunately, that just meant that Harry had more to pack. The fifth keyhole led to a moderately large chamber, which he fully intended to transform into his personal library… once he stopped procrastinating and started working. Draco had offered his assistance earlier. However, his father had demanded that he 'stop hanging around Diagon Alley like some hooligan' and 'come back home and make yourself presentable'. 

As such, the blond boy had left somewhat morosely, to play the gracious host, and Harry had been left with an as yet still unfurnished trunk. 

Ray screeched slightly, and shot Harry a reproachful glance, hoping over to the book and pecking at it. Harry groaned. He was trying to look for some charms that could come in useful in packing, but had not seen anything that he thought he could use yet. The few that he had seen seemed rather dubious in nature. 

"What I need," he told Ray, rubbing his beak, "is a housewife's guide. I'm sure that'll solve my problem more than learning about reparo will."

Nonetheless, he sat up, rubbed his eyes and picked the book up again, flipping to the middle where he had stopped. Maybe when he went out for dinner later, he could ask Tom whether he knew any suitable spells. Till then, he would read then attempt to start packing. 

~*~

September the first was a busy day for the Leaky Cauldron, as countless witches and wizards flooed in to access muggle London. Up on the second floor, in his bedroom, was a young boy with a shock of dark hair who was in no less of a flurry than his counterparts downstairs. 

To Harry's disappointment, he had _not _been able to find a suitable spell on time, and neither Snape nor Draco had been free to visit him the past week, leaving him to resort to packing his trunk the muggle way. He supposed he could have asked Tom, but the bartender had been so harried with the influx of people staying at the Leaky Cauldron, that Harry had not the heart to distract him from his work. 

Swearing loudly, Harry threw the last of his clothes into the second compartment, heedless of the way everything had been hurled messily in, and how everything was creased and crumpled. He would just have to sort it out at Hogwarts. For now, he had to ensure that he was down in time to meet Snape, who had sent him an owl the night before, telling Harry that the seemingly dour professor would once again be the lucky person to escort him around. 

When Harry finally thumped down the stairs at two minutes to half-past ten however, he was surprised to find no Snape there. Instead, there was a large giant of a man, who was clutching a pink umbrella and looking expectantly at him. _Hagrid._ The man he had seen in Gringotts. 

Hagrid waved jovially in Harry's direction, and Harry looked away from the pink umbrella and into Hagrid's beetle-black eyes, quashing down all his former thoughts about how wrong pink looked with the rest of Hagrid's ensemble. That was more Draco's area, not his. 

"Al' righ' there, 'arry?" Hagrid asked, shoving past the throng of people in standing between them, who hurriedly scattered when they found themselves in danger of being flattened. 

Harry frowned. "I thought Snape…"

Hagrid flipped a large hand. "Ah, well. It's a righ' treat ter find me 'ere instead eh?"

Harry wanted to say no, but figuring that would have been rude, merely glanced aside. "Right," he said weakly, "a real treat." Somehow, he thought that travelling with Hagrid would be far more torture than going with Snape, and as Hagrid smiled fondly at Harry and sighed, his eyes glazed in remembrance of some far off memory, Harry shook his head in despair. Far worse would probably not even begin to describe it. 

~*~

Arriving at King's Cross came as somewhat of a relief for Harry. The entire trip from the Leaky Cauldron had been awkward; at least on Harry's part. Hagrid, on the other hand, seemed to have no such reservations, as he often looked past his bushy beard to gaze fondly at Harry, patting him genially on the back and muttering "Jus' like yer parents yer are… look jus' like James did too…"

The entire atmosphere would have been too sentimental for Harry, had Hagrid's sentences not been frequently punctuated by comments like "Blimey! Look at the time!" and "Muggles are righ' strange aren't they…" as they weaved their way past gawking passer-bys. 

As Hagrid smiled broadly at Harry on the way to the trolleys and murmured "Oh, and yer mother's eyes…" Harry took a deep breath, fighting off the strong urge to scream at the large man. Not only was it highly annoying, but Hagrid's statements brought home the fact that Harry could not even remember his parents, something he had spent most of his life hiding and squashing into one small corner of his mind. For some reason, that the dark-haired boy could not fathom, it hurt, and he did not like it. 

Harry had originally thought to try sneak some information about the top secret business that Hagrid had been involved in on Harry's birthday from the man himself, but five minutes into meeting Hagrid, he had firmly decided to keep his mouth shut, severely doubting Hagrid's ability to remember any matter of importance. 

Normally, Harry would have been more generous towards Hagrid, but he had been in a rather bad mood since morning, due to having lost Moste Potente, and much of his sleep the night before as he ransacked his belongings. It was, in all likelihood, merely misplaced, but for the time being, at least, Harry felt wholly uncharitable towards anything that moved. 

Loading his trunk and Raven's cage onto the trolley, Harry waved a distracted goodbye in Hagrid's general direction, paying no heed to the twinkling ebony eyes, or the proud smile, and headed towards the magical barrier. He could see it, just past the heads of the many rushing commuters, another shimmering mass, just like the entrance to Diagon Alley. 

Glancing behind his shoulder to confirm that no one was paying any attention to him, Harry leant casually against the shifting coloured wall, feeling himself sink through the barrier. The next moment, Harry found himself in front of a large scarlet train, surrounded by anxious parents and numerous children, some clinging to their parents tearfully, and others rolling their eyes as they listened to the never-ending lectures. 

Setting his jaw, Harry shoved down the unwanted thought that had risen unbidden of what it would have been like for himself if he had his mother and father with him, and how his first trip on board the Hogwarts Express would have started out. 

"This proves it," he thought dolefully, looking for an empty compartment, "I _have _ gotten soft."

"Hey! Harry!" 

Shaking his messy hair out of his eyes, Harry turned towards the voice, not in the slightest bit amazed to see Draco beckoning him, "Over here."

Together, both boys hauled Harry's trunk into Draco's compartment. "Packed everything finally haven't you?"

Harry scowled. "I hope so. I can't find Moste Potente."

Draco stopped, rolling his eyes and yelping when his side of the trunk came crashing down on his fingers. "Well," he said, wringing his hand, "I expect it's around somewhere. Besides, you've got so many books! You're bound to have enough references. It's just a book anyway…"

As Harry's gaze darkened, Draco added hastily, "of course, that doesn't make it ok that you lost it. We'd probably still find it in the library though."

Throwing himself down onto the seat, Harry sighed, running his fingers through his already standing locks. "Look, I know I'm being a complete beast today, and I'm sorry. It's just that I was working on something, and my notes are in the book, scribbled in the margin. Not to mention I didn't get enough sleep…"

Draco looked scandalised. "Harry!" he admonished, "it's the holidays!" Then, laughing, he flopped down onto the chair in a move that was uncharacteristically Malfoy. "At least you got to work early. I've spent the last week being scrutinised by various relatives. 'Why, Draco,'," he added, his face screwed up in a comical imitation of some old aunt or other, "'you've grown!' You'd think my parents would let me off such torment, but no… I have to behave 'as is befitting of a Malfoy…'." His voice deepened in an attempt to copy his father's smooth tones. 

Harry felt himself grinning, despite his earlier bad mood, and opened his mouth to offer some sarcastically teasing comment or other, only to shut it as their compartment door suddenly flew open, and a gangly red-headed boy towed his trunk in. "Hi," he said, looking at Harry, "d'you mind if I sit here? Every where's full, you see, and the train's leaving."

With a soft snort, Draco gestured expansively towards the station guards who were slamming the doors shut. "So we see," he said, in a tone that spoke volumes about what he thought of the other boy. 

Harry looked at Draco sharply, his eyes flicking back to the red-head when the latter scowled, crossing his arms and intoning stiffly. "Malfoy."

Glancing between Draco, who had pulled himself out of his relaxed position, and was glaring at the other boy, and the swiftly reddening subject of Draco's scorn, Harry frowned. "Draco? What's going on?"

Hm, well. I guess it wasn't that difficult to guess which Weasley would come a calling. All right, when you scroll down, you'll see this lovely little button down there that this writer is hoping you'll hit and leave your comments. It would encourage me to post the next chapter you know... after all, I was on a guilt trip throughout the whole time I was working on this one! Lol. So leave your review, you know I love it! :)

To all my wonderful reviewers. (scuttles off so she doesn't start bawling in absolute guilt... peeks around the pillar dabbing her eyes suspiciously) I know I've been terribly bad, and I'm very sorry. 

down-right-mystical - Admitted, it was your review that really got me cracking more than anything else, so thank you. You've been great, and I'm awfully sorry I didn't post chapter nine any earlier. *sniffles* hope you're not all shrivelled and grey now... haha. as for the sorting... well. I'm not releasing that information this chapter. Tantalising hints. Hm. *smiles* My lips are sealed, really. Yeah, I know... I've been really busy recently, and my piano teacher totally driven up to the ceiling by now.. I've not really been practising much, and I've got my exams up coming.. it's just that school's been this mad rush, and it's ever so easy to procrastinate. and procrastinate. and procrastinate... hee. well, you get the point. 

SnooZa - yes, yes, so I do see. And to be fair, you haven't been updating either.. so there. Lol. Hm, Hedwig... well. I guess some things just don't quite go with the flow anymore. I'll brood a bit over the possibility of having a Hedwig-like appearance somewhere in there though. No promises, however. 

Serpent of Light - And here he comes, sauntering in this chapter. Haha, Draco's here. Lol. My mom would kill me if I went nocturnal, she probably thinks I'm insane enough already. *whistles*

MoOnSpIrItE - On Hermione... well, now, that would be telling wouldn't it? Haha. 

A Sly Fan - Thanks for reviewing! 

StolenDreamer - Thanks! Hope you like this update too.

HAZZAGRIFF - interesting pen name... any connotations what so ever?

Iced Flame - Bingo. I wouldn't say Harry's dark. He's not, and I can't quite imagine him being so, but at the same time, he's not the exact way we've come to know him in Canon either. So as to how he finally ends up, you'll just have to wait and see! :)

Mikito - *looks guilty at the very words 'update soon!'*

wanderingwolf - body building? uh, ok... haha. to each his own I guess... but AU Harry is always fun to write, no?

ER - I know, I know, finally an update... after ages... I've been naughty *nods* Happy Easter. 

Lunawolf - I'll have you know that the words 'update soon' still have me cringing in guilt. Haha. J/k. Thanks for the review though. 

Adonis - Yes... I *have* been naughty... sigh. Thanks for reviewing! :)

athenakitty - I can't quite answer all the questions... so I'll have to be evil and say... for the stuff that have answers, they're in the story... for the stuff that don't, you'll have to wait and see. Haha. 

Once again, thanks for reading, and do review. Happy Easter everyone! And I'll try be a *better* (note the absence of the word good) girl this time. See you! 


End file.
